Drumlight Factory Blazing away!

Lighthouse one

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
May 4, 2006
Messages
1,237
Location
Ephrata, Pa
OK>>>
Its a boring Saturday, a foot of snow in the yard, and I just got an XPE led to try out.

I make a homemade light called a Drumlight...so I got the necessary parts together and started the process to make 3 lights.

I call them drumlights, because the body is from the drum of an HP printer cartridge from my job of refilling cartridges.

I don't sell them because they aren't that durable...everything is glued together, and I can't find anything but a cheap clicky that works.

I do however, give one away at the Milky get together most times.

The XPE led will have a high/low driver from KD. THe other 2 will have 750 ma drivers from DX and P4 led's from DX too. THe optics are also from KD..same as the LED Supply ones. They are actually pretty good. I buy 12" lenghts of 3/4" solid aluminum round, and cut the heatsinks to 5/8" .

I slot the heatsinks on the sides...use DX thermal glue to glue the led's and the drivers to each end of the heatsink. Then I solder the driver to the led, solder a long wire to the negative outer rim of the driver to attach to the switch. The switch is hot melt glued into the hollowed out gear ( from the drum ). The body does not carry the negative power, because the plastic gear won't let the switch touch the body- so I attach the wire from the driver to the switch. The switch has a 3/4 inch spring built in, and until I found these parts I couldn't make it work.

Lighthouse one....

IMG_0364.jpg
 

Bullzeyebill

Flashaholic
Joined
Feb 21, 2003
Messages
12,164
Location
CA
Pretty cool actually. Maybe you could sell them as is, no warranty, except that they will work when turned on first time.

Bill
 

Juggernaut

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Joined
Feb 18, 2008
Messages
1,490
Location
A place in need of light.
All this time and you never posted an actual thread on these cool lights:eek:? Well it's nice that the rest of the forum can finally see these cool little lights in action:D. You could always sell them as kits, I think you mentioned something along those lines at PF12:thinking:. I've seen one first hand and I have to say considering their construction is quite brilliant considering what you used to make them:thumbsup:.
 

Lighthouse one

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
May 4, 2006
Messages
1,237
Location
Ephrata, Pa
Jug I actually did post a more complete how to a year or 2 ago. I couldn't interest anyone in learning how to put together one with a kit. Dan won one last year...but there was little interest....so I'm not going to keep bugging guys on making something yourself. Not interested in selling anything...they aren't as well built as a real light.
 
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